Randolph Engineering

A few years ago, fed up with losing expensive frames to the bottom of some lake or river every summer, I sought out a pair of affordable aviators worn by, well, aviators. At $90, Randolph Engineering’s stylish frames are hands down the best sunglasses money can buy. They offer both mineral glass and polycarbonate lenses, and they are all at least 98% UV protective. I’ve dropped the Sportsmans (pictured, above) in a Maine snowbank, while crossing Park Avenue, and on the gravel path at the National Mall, and they are still in tact, a scratch here or there – nothing more. And while, yes, I lost a pair of the Aviators last summer at the bottom of Lake Skenonto, prior to their death, RE sent me two other sizes to test as the ones ordered were two sizes too large for my narrow melon. They have a great warranty, an excellent customer service department, and they’re made in the United States of America.

The verdict is still out on the Sportsmans. I am not usually a fan of the brow bar, but leaving them out in the sun this weekend, I began to appreciate an element of its function: sear-prevention. With frames like the Concorde, the potential for the metal to warm up and burn the skin is higher than with a pair like the Sportsmans. I will most likely wear these every day this summer, that is until the Lady of the Lake gets her hands on my REs.